


No Matter What Happens

by watermelonriddles



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-02-14 03:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12998760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: As Betty begins to wonder about the Serpent world and grows increasingly curious about it, FP is the only one that doesn't instantly warn her to stay away. Instead, he offers support and promises to look out for her.





	1. Family

**Author's Note:**

> Set during/after 2x08.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As FP slipped into the back office of the Whyte Wyrm for some peace and quiet, the last person he expected to see was Betty Cooper. She was sat on the chair behind the desk but it was the fact that she was crying that really made him consider just leaving before she realised he was there.

As FP slipped into the back office of the Whyte Wyrm for some peace and quiet, the last person he expected to see was Betty Cooper.

She was sat on the chair behind the desk but it was the fact that she was crying that really made him consider just leaving before she realised he was there. FP might not be the best Dad in the world but the moment he saw Betty on stage he knew that Jughead wouldn’t agree. These tears could only be related and he didn’t want to escalate things, but he couldn’t exactly leave her in that state, could he?  
  
“Betty…”  
  
She let out a little gasp and quickly wiped at her eyes. “Oh, Mr Jones.”

“FP.”

Betty looked up. “I’m sorry?”

“After what happened out there,” he said, gesturing to the closed door behind him. “ And after everything that’s happened before, I think it’s safe to say that you can call me FP.”

  
She didn’t really look comfortable with that and that made FP smile. “I’m sorry,” she said, standing up and stepping out from behind the desk. “I know I shouldn’t be in here. I tried to find Jug, but it’s so busy out there.”  
  
“I could find him for you.”  
  
“No!” she said, a little too quickly. “I mean, that won’t be necessary.”  
  
He nodded, watching her carefully. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” He just gave her a knowing look and she sighed. “Oh.”

FP motioned for her to sit back down and she didn’t argue. He came around to her side of the desk and sat on the edge of it. “Why did you get up on stage, Betty?”

“I’m a part of Jug’s world,” she said, without missing a beat. “Every part.”

“But you know I didn’t want this for him,” FP said. “So why didn’t you pull him out instead?”

Betty wrapped her arms around herself. “Everything Jughead has done has been for a good reason.”

FP ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Yeah, that’s what makes it worse.”

“You can’t leave the Serpents, so why should you expect him to stay away?”

“I don’t want my kid to make the same mistakes I did.” He shrugged out of his leather jacket and placed it on the desk beside him. “The Serpents were there when I had nothing, I owe them, but if I could go back…”

“You wouldn’t join.”

He titled his head to the side slightly. “Perhaps.” When he looked at her, he found Betty’s eyes on his jacket. He looked down at it. “You know, if you’re still serious, you could get one of your own.”

“What about Jug?”

FP shrugged. “What about him?”

He stood up, grabbed the jacket, and held it open. Betty stood and slowly turned around, allowing him to slip it on. As she stepped away, she turned around to face him and adjusted the jacket a little.

“Considering you’re not happy about Jughead, I’m surprised you’re even toying with the idea of me being apart of this world.” When he didn’t respond, she looked up. He was watching her, transfixed. She couldn’t help but notice how sad he looked. “Mr Jones? …FP?”

He shook his head as if to clear it. “Sorry, I was… You just reminded me of someone…” He shook his head again.” I don’t want you to be in this world, but who am I to stop you?”

Betty thought about that. She only had one reason to want to be here: Jughead. If he wasn’t a Serpent she wouldn’t even consider the idea. She looked back to FP who was still watching her with that sad expression.

“My mother.”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I remind you of my mother.” He opened his mouth but, as if lost for words, simply closed it again. Betty smiled at him. “You’re a Serpent, she was a Serpent, it doesn’t take a genius. Plus, I see the way you two are around each other. I’m not blind.”

“There’s nothing going on between me and your mother,” he defended.

“Maybe not right now.” As FP finally looked away she slipped out of the jacket and handed it back to him. “You should talk to her. She’s a different person when she slips back to who she used to be, but it’s…”

“Natural,” FP finished. “Like it’s the true version of herself, the real version.”

“Things might have changed,” Betty said. “But she’s still the same, deep down.”

FP couldn’t help but smile at that and before he had a chance to really respond Betty stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. He let his eyes drift shut and wrapped his arms around her.

“No matter what happens with you and Jughead,” he said softly. “You’re still family. Always will be.”

As he spoke Betty hugged him even tighter. Silence followed and the two of them simply stood there, neither of them quite ready to pull apart just yet.


	2. Christmas Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That girl up there,” he said, pointing towards the ceiling. “She’s family. Betty and Jughead might have hit a rough patch right now, but there’s still something there, probably always will be. Betty has done so much for my Jughead and I owe her everything for that. Plus, she’s your kid and you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set around 2x09 :)

On Christmas morning, FP slipped out before Jughead woke up and headed straight over to the Cooper household. He knocked twice and waited until the door was opened.

Betty stood in the doorway having clearly just woken up. She looked startled at the sight of him standing there. She tightened her dressing gown before opening the door a little further and stepping aside. “Mr Jones, come in.”

FP gave her a little nod of thanks as he stepped inside. He wiped his shoes on the matt before following Betty through to the kitchen. She motioned for him to sit at the table as she went to pour them both a cup of coffee.

“Is everything okay?” she asked as she sat down at the table and passed him one of the cups.  
  
“Everything’s great,” he said. “After everything that happened at the Whyte Wyrm, and I heard about what happened with the Black Hood, I just wanted to come and check on you.”

“I’m fine, all things considering. I was wondering though…”

”Wondering what?”  
  
“I did that performance to be a part of Jug’s world, but he doesn’t want me there,” she said. “So what happens now?”  
  
"It all comes down to what you want,” FP said. “I know you did it for him, but you chose to get up on that stage. You made that decision all by yourself. This one’s the same. Try not to worry about it too much. We’re not going to hunt you down and force you to get a tattoo or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
  
“Imagine the heart attacks my parents would have.”  
  
“That’s not too hard to imagine.”  
  
Betty tried not to laugh. FP winked at her before he collected their cups and took over to the sink where he washed them up. As he dried his hands, FP turned away from the sink his eyes fell on a plate of Santa shaped cookies. He pulled the cover off to take a closer look.

“Did you make these?” he asked. Betty shook her head. “Alice?”

“Yeah, try one. They’re pretty good.”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.” FP picked up a cookie and covered the rest. He broke a little piece off, popped it into his mouth, and sure enough, it tasted good, more than good. “Might have to take a couple of these home. Let Jug try one.”  
  
Betty licked her lips and gave a small nod. “Please do.”  
  
“FP…” Both he and Betty turned around to see Alice in the doorway to the kitchen. “What do we owe this pleasure so early in the morning?”  
  
“Just checking in,” he said. “Wishing a Merry Christmas.”  
  
Alice raised a brow and looked between the two of them. “Checking in?”  
  
“I’ll, um, I’ll be upstairs, got to get changed for the day,” Betty said. She offered up a smile to FP before leaving. “Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate it.”  
  
He returned her smile as she gently touched his arm but as she left the room his eyes were on Alice. She didn’t say anything until she was sure Betty was upstairs.

  
“What the hell are you really doing here?” Alice asked as she stormed up to him.  
  
FP backed up until he was pressed against the counter. “To check on Betty. I heard about everything that happened.”  
  
“She’s not going to be a Serpent.”  
  
“She’s not going to be,” FP confirmed. “What do you think I came here for? To drag her back to the Southside? You know me better than that. She’s not going to get the tattoo or the jacket. She just wants a window to that world,  _our_  world, for Jughead.”

“It’s not  _our_  world,” Alice snapped. “I don’t want her to be a part of the Serpent life in any way.”

“The more you tell her no, the more she’s going to want it,” FP said. He reached for her but then seemed to think better of it. His expression softened. “I would never let anything happen to her.”  
  
“It might not be my world anymore, but I still know it, still remember it,” Alice said, pointing a finger at him. “And you can’t promise me that.”  
  
FP looked her right in the eye. “Yes, I can.”  
  
Alice sighed and stepped away from him. She knew that determined look anywhere. “Why do you care so much, FP?”  
  
“That girl up there,” he said, pointing towards the ceiling. “She’s family. Betty and Jughead might have hit a rough patch right now, but there’s still something there, probably always will be. Betty has done so much for my Jughead and I owe her everything for that. Plus, she’s your kid and you…”  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed him with a look. “And I…?”  
  
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that if Betty wants to be a part of the Serpent world then I’m not going to stand in her way, and deep down you know that you won’t be able to stand in her way either.”  
  
”FP, I swear to God-”  
  
”Don’t.” He stepped closer to her. “Serpents look out for their own. Regardless of whether Betty is a Serpent or not, you’re still one. I’m not going to pull her in, but if she comes of her own accord, I’ll be there for her.”  
  
FP left the kitchen without another word but instead of heading straight for the door, he headed upstairs. When he reached Betty’s bedroom, the door was open slightly. He knocked and when he heard her quietly say to come in, he pushed the door open further. She was sat at her desk and looked over her shoulder as he stepped in.

“I’m heading out,” he told her. He dug into his pocket as he walked further into the room and pulled something out. “But before I go, I got you something.”

Betty stood up and walked towards him. She held her hand out and FP gently dropped a necklace into the palm of her hand. She picked it up and examined it. It was silver with a small pendant in the shape of a snake.  
  
“I didn’t really have time to wrap it,” he explained. “Things have been crazy, but I wanted you to have it for Christmas.”

“It’s beautiful,” Betty said, as she ran her finger over it in awe.

“I don’t want you to be a part of the Serpent world, I’m with Jug and Alice on that, but…” He sighed and took the necklace from her. She turned around and he helped to put it on. “If you choose to then you’ll have me in your corner.”

Betty turned back to face him. “Neither of them will be happy about that.”

FP watched the happy look on her face as she looked down at the necklace. “That doesn’t matter.”

Betty couldn’t explain why the necklace made her feel so happy. Showing support for the Serpents, getting up on that stage, it was all for Jughead. She had told herself that if he ever stepped away then she would too. That window into the Serpent world was only temporary, now she wasn’t so sure.

Ever since she tried on FP’s leather jacket in the office of Whyte Wyrm things had felt different. Now the little snake pendant made her feel content whenever she looked at it. Perhaps, it was just the fact that FP was at least open-minded to the idea of her having anything to do with the Serpents. It was refreshing.

“Thank you,” she said, looking back at him. “I love it.”  
  
He offered up a smile as he stepped closer to her. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Betty wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Betty,” he said as they broke away.  
  
As FP walked towards the door he heard a soft “Merry Christmas” but when he looked back over his shoulder Betty had sat back down at her desk. He could tell she was fiddling with the necklace. He watched for another moment before leaving and shutting the door behind him.  
  
When he got to the bottom of the stairs, Alice was waiting. He paused by the front door. When he looked at her she opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it.  
  
“Don’t push her, Alice,” FP said softly. “I tried to keep Jughead out and it didn’t end up well.”  
  
Without another word he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I would do another chapter for this, but here we are.
> 
> I actually think I'm going to write more for this but be warned that it's coming up to a very busy time of year for me, and I don't really have an overall plan for this, I'm just enjoying the fact that I'm writing again, so please be patient with me :)


	3. Nothing Bad Will Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Which is exactly why she suggested going to FP when things got really rough. Lately, she had come to realise that she could rely on him. Even when things weren’t so right with Jughead, FP was still there. Plus, this way she could finally relieve some of that anxiety and still keep her mothers wishes of keeping Chic safe from the police."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2x13
> 
> Basically, everything that happened between 2x09 and 2x13 in the show still happened. The only difference really is that Betty has that necklace that FP got her.

Life had been nothing but noise and anxiety since Betty walked in on her mother cleaning up blood from the floor. There was more than one occasion when she wished she had just stayed with Jughead that night. Why should she have to keep Chic’s secret? Why should she protect him? But then where Chic is considered, Alice is never too far behind. If it wasn’t for her mother, Betty wouldn’t have kept trying.

Which is exactly why she suggested going to FP when things got really rough. Lately, she had come to realise that she could rely on him. Even when things weren’t so right with Jughead, FP was still there. Plus, this way she could finally relieve some of that anxiety and still keep her mothers wishes of keeping Chic safe from the police.

But it didn’t make her feel any better. The entire time that FP was out disposing of the body, she found herself with a new kind of fear. If they got caught, wouldn’t things be so much worse?

She, Alice, and Jughead were all waiting in a booth at Pop’s when FP walked in. Even once they were done talking, they were all too exhausted to move right away, especially him. However, when the time finally did come Betty and Alice shared a look. They both seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement by the time they made it outside.

“FP,” Alice said. He turned around to face her. “You and Jughead should come back to ours.”

“We- We couldn’t do that.”

Alice reached out and lightly touched his hand. “Please. Use our shower, it's more powerful than the one at the trailer. Stay the night even.”

When it looked like FP might object again Betty hooked arms with Jughead. “I would really love to stay with Jug tonight, so it makes sense that you just tag along.”

FP looked at Betty and contemplated it for a moment. “Okay, I’ll come back. I don’t know about staying though.”

Alice smiled as she turned towards her car. “You might as well just stay the night.”

* * *

 

Betty was sat at the top of the stairs. Chic was fast asleep in his room when they got back. Jughead, although he had tried very hard not to, had fallen asleep on Betty’s bed. Alice was downstairs, doing whatever she could to stay awake a little longer, and FP was in the shower. The only sounds were of the running water and the television downstairs which was only faint, probably left on but paid no attention to.

Betty couldn’t asleep and, out of fear of waking Jughead up, decided that it would be best to go where she wouldn’t disturb anyone. She got as far as the top of the stairs and decided that it was as good a place as any. Here she wasn’t in anyone’s way.

The sound of the water stopped suddenly and several minutes later the door to the bathroom opened and then closed again. FP made his way towards the stairs only to stop dead at the sight of her.

“Betty? What are you doing out here?”

She looked over her shoulder at him. “Jughead’s fast asleep in my room, but I’m still wide awake.”

He came over and sat down beside her on the step. “Where’s Alice?”

“Downstairs. I don’t think she wants to sleep.”

FP nodded. “I’ll check on her.”

“Before you leave?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t decided.”

“Thank you for what you did.”

She ran her hands over her face. Every part of her ached. She was exhausted and yet, she couldn’t sleep. That frustrated her the most. She wished she could just collapse and sleep for a week, longer even.

“It’s going to be okay,” FP said as he put an arm around her.

She leaned into him. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I won’t let anything bad happen,” he said. “And neither will that boy of mine.”

“But if the police do find his body, and any other evidence, you and Jughead might get into trouble now,” Betty said, trying her hardest not to cry. “I don’t know what I’d do if you both got into trouble. Especially you.”

“Hey, hey,” he said, hugging her tightly. “We’re not going to get caught, no one is getting into any trouble.”

“They’d lock you up without a second thought.” At least she and Alice and Jughead had a chance to fight, but no one would think twice before throwing away the key for FP.

This time she couldn’t stop herself from crying. FP pulled away from her and lifted her head up to look at him. “Now, you listen to me. I’m not going anywhere. Nothing bad is going to happen to me or Jughead or your mother. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. You didn’t choose this. You didn’t do anything wrong, you were just trying to protect your family.”

Betty took a deep breath and nodded. There was something about the determination in his voice that made her feel at least a little calmer. FP smiled a little as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and they sat there for a while. After a moment he noticed that she was playing with her little snake necklace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay, long time, huh? I'm really sorry about that! At first, life got in the way and then honestly, the show got really good. I was enjoying the content so much that this story kind of took a backseat. It really doesn't feel like it's been that long since I updated, but then I checked and... yeah, I'm sorry!
> 
> I'm not going to make promises that the next chapter will be up super quick, but I am determined to write more for this story and eventually finish it off nice and neatly.


	4. The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between 2x14 and 2x15 :) Just a short, little chapter for the meantime, but I'm currently editing the next chapter so I'm hoping to get that up either later or tomorrow!

After events of the Lodge’s lake house, a car drove Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and Archie home. The four of them spent the entire journey in silence. Tensions were still a little high, but mostly they were just exhausted. The first stop was Betty and Archie’s street. Jughead was going to wait at the Cooper household and Archie wanted to pick up a few things from his house before going to the Pembrooke.

“Is everything okay?” Alice asked once they stepped through the door.

Betty had called Alice and Jughead had called FP to explain what had happened at the lake house. They kept it brief so as not to worry anyone. Betty assured that she would be home soon and FP told Jughead he was heading out anyway so he would just swing by Betty’s to pick him up.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Betty managed to get out before being pulled her in for a hug. Over Alice’s shoulder, she could see Chic standing there, creeping around like he always was. Other than a smile, he didn’t say a word.

“Are you sure?” Alice asked as she held Betty at arm's length to look at her.

“Yes, everything has been sorted. There’s nothing else for us to do or worry about.”

Alice looked her up and down. “And you’re not hurt?”

She shook her head. “No, it never went that far.”

Seeming somewhat satisfied Alice led the way into the kitchen. Betty and Jughead sat down on the bar stools while Chic leaned against the counter and Alice busied herself. She poured them both a cup of coffee and placed them down along with a plate of food.

“Oh Mrs Cooper, I’m-“ But Betty placed her hand on Jughead’s arm and shook her head. She knew better than anyone that you don’t turn food down at a time like this. Jughead nodded just as Alice turned to look at him. “I’m starving,” he said, “thank you.”

Alice smiled at him and he began to tuck in. Betty picked at the food, but she really wasn’t that hungry. Jughead always was but even he was picking a little, eyeing Chic up as he did. Normally he would have inhaled the whole plate but by the time Betty had decided she couldn’t stomach any more of Chic just standing there, the plate was still pretty full.

“Chic, do you want the rest of this?” Betty asked.

He looked startled, but Alice spoke first. “You guys should eat that.”

“We would,” Betty said, smile in place. “But FP will be here soon to pick up Jug so I think we’re just going to wait outside. Once he’s gone I’m just going to go straight to bed.”

“Are you sure?”

They were both stood up and Betty was sliding the plate towards Chic. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll eat better tomorrow when I’m not so tired. Seriously, Chic, here.”

“Thank you for the food, Mrs Cooper,” Jughead said as Betty grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen.

The two of them ducked outside as quickly as possible and once the door was shut, Betty felt like she could breathe again. The two of them sat down on the front steps. Betty leaned against Jughead, her head resting on his shoulder.

“That guy really is a creep,” Jughead said. “Does he always just hang around like that?”

Betty linked arms with him. “It’s like he’s everywhere.”

“Well, I think today was another example of how we can handle ourselves.” Jughead put his head against her’s for a moment. “So your brother’s got nothing on us.”

“Speaking of tonight,” Betty said. “What do you think Hiram Lodge is really up to?”

“Nothing good,” he said. “I’m going to keep investigating though. Even if I can’t stop whatever he’s got in store, I’m not going to make it easy.”

As Betty was about to reply, FP pulled up. Betty and Jughead got up and started to make their way over as FP came around to their side of his truck. The two of them hugged and kissed goodbye before Jughead climbed inside. One the passenger side door was shut, FP turned to Betty.

Tilting his head a little to the side, he reached out and touched her arm. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m just tired.”

“Betty…”

She looked behind him to see if Jughead was paying much attention. When she was sure he wasn’t, Betty looked back to FP. “I’m just concerned that Jug might get himself into some trouble. He’s really determined to get in the way of Mr Lodge’s plans.”

“Well, whatever he’s planning I’ll be there,” FP reassured. “And I get the feeling you won’t be too far away.”

Betty couldn’t help but smile at that. He was right, and between the two of them, they should be able to keep him out of any serious trouble. FP gave her a quick hug before making his way round to the driver’s side.


	5. A Place To Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t trust [Chic],” she explained with a small, almost defeated shrug. “There’s something he’s not telling us. I think I’m going to do something stupid if I don’t figure this whole thing out, I threatened him last night.”
> 
> “Oh?” FP asked, trying not to smile. “How?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2x16 :) - there's a couple lines of dialogue taken straight from the episode :)

Southside High was being turned into a prison was shocking news for everyone and naturally, Jughead wasn’t going to take it lying down. Chaining himself outside the school was exactly the kind of thing he would do and in retrospect, Betty really should have seen it coming, but that didn't stop her from being a little angry that he hadn't called to tell her what was going on when she finally did find out. She understood why he did it which is exactly why her anger died out pretty quickly in the end.

Betty wished that she could stay with him, but there were other things going on that she couldn’t get out of and Jughead had reassured her that he was fine and that the police wouldn’t risk moving peaceful protesters because it would look bad which exactly the kind of thing Hiram Lodge didn’t want.

“Also, no one’s gonna mess with those guys there,” Jughead said as he motioned to where FP stood with some other Serpents.

“Good point. I have some student council obligations with Veronica, but I’ll be back later tonight, okay?,” Betty said with a small smile before she kissed Jughead.

“Go get them, Tracy Flick.”

Betty stood up but instead of leaving, she headed straight over to FP. As he spotted her, he said something to the other Serpents before breaking away from them to meet her halfway.

“You’re going to stay here?” she asked.

FP nodded. “All night if I have to. I’m only leaving if Jughead needs me to get something.”

Betty smiled. “Good, I would stay here too if I could. I’ll be back later though.”

“We’ve got him,” FP assured. Betty nodded her head, but she seemed a little distant. He reached out and gently touched her arm. “Is there something else on your mind?”

Betty played with her snake necklace, contemplating whether or not she should say something, but in the end, she decided that it couldn’t hurt. “It’s to do with Chic.”

FP eyed her curiously. “What did he do?”

“I don’t trust him,” she explained with a small, almost defeated shrug. “There’s something he’s not telling us. I think I’m going to do something stupid if I don’t figure this whole thing out, I threatened him last night.”

“Oh?” FP asked, trying not to smile. “How?”

Betty bit her lip. “With a lighter. I didn’t hurt him or anything. I just woke him up in the middle of the night and maybe gave him a warning.”

“A lighter, huh?” he said, lost in his own thoughts for a moment. “What brought that on?”

“A lot,” she admitted. “There’s something not right with him, at first I thought that he wasn’t really my brother but instead I found out that we don’t have the same father. I just want to know what his game is, I don’t trust him.”

“Do you think he’s dangerous?”

Betty shrugged and FP couldn’t help but notice the way her hand tightened around the little snake from her necklace. “I don’t think so, but ever since that guy was killed in our house.”

“Hey,” FP said, putting his arm around her shoulders. He guided her away from everyone else in case someone might hear. “Do you think he could do something like that to you? To Alice?”

“I don’t think he would hurt her,” Betty said. “I can’t decide if Chic genuinely cares or if he’s using her, but either way, I think he needs her.”

He dropped his arm from around her shoulders and moved to stand in front of her. “What about you, Betty?”

“After what I did last night, I’m expecting some retaliation. I think he knows he’ll need to be careful, he can’t just go after me.”

FP gave a look like he was somewhat satisfied with the answer. He put his hands on either side of her face so that she would look at him. “If he so much as makes a threat, no matter how vague, you call me or Jug and we’ll handle it. You got that?”

“Yes,” she said, placing a hand gently over one of his. “I’m sorry.”

His hands slowly dropped from her face. “For what?”

“For bringing this to you.”

FP smiled as he shook his head at her. “Never be sorry for that.”

* * *

 

After their decision to run for Student Council President, Jughead went out to grab some food from Pop’s for them to celebrate with. While he was gone Betty grabbed something to drink, glasses, and plates from the kitchen. She got enough for FP as well, in case he decided to join them. Betty was just happy to be away from it all. Between Chic exposing her sex life to their mother and Veronica lying about her involvement in Hiram's plans, Betty was exhausted. At least here, with Jughead, she could breathe a little easier. Now they actually had something to look forward to.

Just as she was setting everything down on the coffee table in the living room, FP walked through the front door. He smiled as he took off his leather jacket and hung it up. “Where’s Jug?”

“He went to get some food from Pop’s,” she explained as she sat down on the couch. “We’re celebrating.”

Betty began to pour the drinks and held one up. FP made his way over and took it from her. “Thanks,” he said before taking a sip. “What are you celebrating?”

“We’re running for Student Council President.”

“Seems fitting,” FP said as he sat down on the armchair.

“There… There’s something else,” Betty said, biting her lip as she tried to figure out the best way to approach it. “I’m sure Jug would want to talk to you about it himself, but I feel bad about sitting here and not saying anything.”

FP leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “What is it?”

“I asked Jug if I could stay here, and he said yes.” FP blinked a few times but before he could speak, Betty hurried on. “I’m going to tell my mother, but with Chic in that house, I can’t stomach another night there. I don’t trust him, I don’t feel safe. While he’s there, I can’t be. This is the only place I have to go.”

He groaned and ran a hand over his face. “As much as I’m going to regret this once Alice gets ahold of me… I’m okay with it, but Jug will share the pullout with me. You can have his room.”

When he looked up at her, she couldn’t stop smiling. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I can guess.” He sighed before returning her smile before turning more serious. “Did something happen with Chic?”

She deliberately took a slow sip of her drink. “He retaliated like I expected.”

“What did he do?”

Betty thought about it for a moment. Did she really want to tell him? It hadn’t gone down as bad as she thought it would at home, however, with her living with Jughead temporarily maybe telling his dad wasn’t the best idea, but there was a part of her that couldn't lie to him so she decided to go with half-truths.

“It was about Jughead and I…”

He raised an eyebrow curiously. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not,” she admitted.

“Is it bad?” he asked. “Is it going to hurt either of you or anyone else?”

“Nothing like that,” she reassured, waving her hands as if to emphasize the point. “Nothing that’ll get us into trouble either. Just… A little embarrassing. Something I think we would rather keep to ourselves.”

FP nodded, deciding that there was no harm in him not knowing, at least for now. “So Chic didn’t hurt you?”

“Didn’t touch me.”

He looked down at the contents of his glass. “I think we both know that Alice isn’t going to like you staying here and that sooner or later she’s going to get her way… But when the time does come for you to move back home, the door will always be open. You need to get away for a bit, you’re welcome here.”

FP never looked back up, he didn’t get the chance before Jughead came through the front door, already talking about what he bought at Pop’s, but that didn't stop the smile from practically enveloping Betty's face.


	6. There For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2x17 - there are chunks throughout that are taken straight from the episode. I, of course, don't claim any of those as my own :)

After seeing the news reports about the car being pulled from the swamp FP suggested they should all talk at Pop’s in the morning because had a shift there anyway. If they all left in the middle of the night to meet up it could look suspicious, especially if it did get linked back to Chic. FP hated to admit it but the cops would take one look at his and Jughead’s Serpent status and jump to conclusions. It took some convincing but eventually, Alice agreed to meet them at Pop’s.

The next morning Betty was up and out of bed before first light. Jughead had been up just as long but had escaped into the bathroom for a shower to make himself feel a little less sleep deprived. Once she was dressed Betty headed outside, deciding it would be better to get some fresh air until they left for Pop’s.

She waited by Jughead’s bike. FP had already left for the morning to start his shift. It didn’t take long before Jughead was finished and as he locked up the trailer, Betty grabbed the helmets. She put on her own and then handed Jughead his. Neither of them said a word to each other but he did kiss her cheek before they got onto the bike. None of them had spoken about the car. Once FP had hung up the phone he had said they would worry about it tomorrow once they were all together, there was no point in going over it before then. Betty had struggled to get much sleep and despite the fact she couldn’t be entirely sure, she knew that FP and Jughead probably hadn’t either.

When they got to Pop’s, Alice was already there, sitting in a booth. Betty and Jughead went straight over and both sat across from her. She looked just as tired as they did, just as concerned with that slightly frantic look in her eye. The three of them had barely said a word to each other before FP came over with some drinks. He placed them down on the table and then went back to get some plates of food.

“I ordered it,” Alice said. “Figured it would look strange if we came here and ordered nothing.”

“Good thinking,” Betty said as FP brought the food back. This time he stayed, sitting beside Alice.

“Pop’s is letting me have a little break while we’re not busy,” FP explained. “I said that Betty was staying with me. Said that you, Alice, came in wanting to talk about it.”

“I can’t believe they found it,” Jughead said, pushing his plate away slightly. A small part of Betty wanted to point out that him not eating would look very suspicious but she knew that that was the part of herself that was nervous and scared. “We should’ve known better. I should’ve known better. We should’ve driven that damn car further out of town!”

“No,” FP said, head in his hand. “How could you have known that Junkyard Steve drags the swamp for people’s castoffs? It was dumb luck.”

“It’s Jones luck, you mean.”

“Shouldn’t Chic be here,” FP said, looking toward Alice. “Considering he’s the one that brained the guy?”

“Don’t worry about Chic,” Alice said, practically cutting him off.

“Normally, I would disagree. Definitely, worry about Chic,” she said, looking right at Alice as she did so before turning her eyes to FP. “But he doesn’t know anything about the car.”

“When we got to the Swamp, we wiped the thing clean of fingerprints before we pushed it in,” Jughead said.

“Wearing gloves?” FP said as he held up his hands a little.

There was slight hesitation before Jughead said, “I think so” at the same time Betty said, “I’m pretty sure.”

“What do you mean you think so?”

“No, no. We were,” Betty said quickly, touching Jughead’s arm. “We 100% were.”

The bell above the door dinged and they all look to see Sheriff Keller enter. With his eyes still on him, FP said, “If anybody comes around asking questions, we don’t know anything. We don’t talk to anyone. We act like everything’s normal.”

“Including, Betty, you coming home so you’re not nesting with a bunch of Serpents,” Alice said as she pointed a finger at her.

Betty shook her head as she leaned in closer. “No, you’re not gonna use this to manipulate me, Mom. You know the deal. I come home when Chic leaves.”

“Okay, everybody,” FP said, cutting Alice off before she could say anything else. “Be cool. In the unlikely event that something happens, we batted down the hatches. Until then, life goes on, and nobody goes anywhere near that car.”

Nobody said another word so FP slipped out from the booth first. He headed behind the counter to serve a waiting customer. Alice, Betty, and Jughead stayed a little longer and attempted to eat a bit more of their food but it was useless. Instead, they pushed it around the plate and tried to make it appear as if they had eaten some of it.

When it became too much to just sit there, Alice slid out from the booth. Before leaving she stopped beside Betty. “We’re not done here, Elizabeth. You should be at home.”

“Just tell me when Chic is gone and I will be,” Betty said without looking at her.

Jughead waited for her to leave before he turned to Betty. “We should probably go as well.”

“Yeah, why don’t you go get the bike ready,” she said. “I’m going to take these dishes up. I feel bad that we didn’t eat it, I can at least help clear it up.”

Jughead smiled as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you outside.”

Once he was gone she began to scrape the food all onto one plate before piling them up. She managed to stack the glasses and carry it all up to the counter. As FP spotted her, he came around the counter to meet her halfway and took the plates from her. As he took them straight over to be washed, she went up to the counter and placed the glasses down.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said as he turned back to her.

“I wanted to help,” she said. “And I also wanted to say I’m sorry.”

He reached over and gently placed his hand over hers. “You and Jughead did what you thought was right,” he reassured. We just have to remain calm. Go on, I’ll see you later at home. ”

Betty wanted to say something more, she felt that she should. It was her stupid family that had caused all of this and now she had dragged both FP and Jughead into the mix. They didn’t ask for any of this and yet here they were because of Chic and Chic was only around because of her. She felt guilty as hell and all she wanted to do was to stop them from worrying.

But in the end, she didn’t do anything. She simply smiled back at him. “Yeah, I’ll see you at home.”

* * *

 

Naturally, Jughead and Betty didn’t just sit around and do nothing. Investigating was their thing and with potentially serious consequences, they couldn’t just sit back this time so they met with Kevin at Pop’s and questioned him about the car. They knew he would have some information being the Sherrif’s son and they were able to disguise it as an article about the environment.

They discovered that the car had been reclaimed and that the cops were investigating who had stolen the car in the first place. It was enough information so far that they had to tell FP and Alice about their investigating and what they have found out. Either the cops would realise who stole it and think he dumped the car before running off and leave it at that, or they'll look for him which could bring the cops to the Coopers and eventually the Jones. The next morning Alice and Chic came over to the trailer and it was clear she was fuming before she even made it through the door. 

“Has shacking up together driven you both completely insane?” Alice asked. She was stood in front of Betty and Jughead who were on the couch. Chic was in the armchair and FP was stood in the doorway seemingly wishing he was anywhere else. “Talking to the Sheriff's son about that car? You didn't think that that was going to raise any red flags?”

“No. Kevin didn't suspect anything,” Betty said without missing a beat.

“And at least, we know what's going on now,” Jughead defended.

“Yeah,” Betty agreed before looking over to Chic. “Which is that Chic's drug-dealer stole someone's car before he made his run to our house.”

“Dwayne didn't have wheels,” Chic said as FP finally came into the room to join everyone. “He was always borrowing his girlfriend's car.”

“Someone called the Shady Man's phone while I had it,” Betty told them. “And she sounded like a crazy person, but not like there was a lot of love lost between her and Dwayne.”

“That could be Darla,” Chic said. “Yeah.”

Is this Darla somebody that we need to be worried about?” Alice asked him.

“Uh, I don't really know her.”

“Shocker! Gee, Chic, have you ever actually been helpful in any way to anyone?”

“Enough, Elizabeth!”

“Right. Whoa, let's stick to the plan,” FP said before things could escalate any further. “This has nothing to do with us. Dwayne stole Darla's car, Darla got it back. Let's hope it ends there.”

“And pack your things, Betty, because this honeymoon is over. O-ver.” Betty looked at Jughead who had his head down, running his hand through his hair. “You two playing house and running around town like loose cannons is beyond the pale. We don't want Hal finding out about this. The last thing we need is for him to stick his nose in it.”

“I’ll move out,” Chic said suddenly, surprising everyone. “I’ll get a place, Betty. It's your house, not mine.”

She couldn’t exactly argue with that, it was exactly what she had been asking for, but a small part of her still didn’t want to leave just yet. “Fine. I'll come back after Chic's gone.”

“Oh, I'm done with your ultimatums, young lady.You're coming home now!” She turned to FP, pointing a finger at him. “And if you don't back me up on this, FP, I will tear this trailer apart with my bare hands.”

FP and Betty shared a look. He gave a small smile, one of sorry, before getting up. It’s not like they hadn’t seen it coming. He had said that he wouldn’t go up against Alice over this. He had done more than enough with her, she really didn’t expect him to get into it with her mother just so she could stay.

“Fine.” Betty sighed as she got up and started to head toward the bedroom. “I’ll get my stuff.”

“I’ll help you pack,” Alice said, following her.

It didn’t take them long to pack. Once it was pretty much finished Alice went outside to wait in the car with Chic. Betty took her time putting in the last couple of bits, trying to prolong leaving. Jughead came in as soon as Alice was gone and stood behind Betty, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed the back of her neck.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I wish I could do something.”

“It’s okay,” Betty said. “I knew it wasn’t going to last. I appreciate you both letting me stay here for as long as you did.”

She turned and put her arms around his neck. “You should probably stay in here. No point in facing the wrath of my mother. It’ll take her a little while to calm down.”

He nodded, almost seeming a little relieved. “I’ll see you soon.”

Betty smiled before kissing him. “Soon.”

She pulled away from him and grabbed her bag. She gave him one last look before leaving. FP was stood by the front door and without a word, he took her bag from her. He opened the door, stepping aside to let her by. She nodded in thanks before stepping outside.

Alice and Chic were already in the car. The latter looked their way momentarily as they came towards the card, but the former didn’t even bother. FP opened the door and placed Betty’s bag on the sat behind Alice. Neither she or Chic said anything so he simply shut the door again.

“You do get that it’s not my place, and it’s certainly not the right time, for me to stand up to her, right?”

“Don’t worry, Mr Jones,” Betty said, seeing how concerned he was. “I really appreciate you letting me stay in the first place. Jug and I deciding on our own really put you on the spot. I’m incredibly thankful.”

He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “Any time. You’re welcome here whenever you need somewhere to go. You’re good for my Jughead, he’s generally a lot happier.”

“Thanks, Mr Jones,” she said, hugging him extra hard before pulling away completely. “You’ve been so good to me lately. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you.”

“There’s no need for that kind of talk,” he told her as she played with her necklace. “I don’t expect anything in return. Now, you call me if you need anything.”

“I will do,” she promised.

With a smile, she headed round to the other side of the car and got in.

* * *

As Betty left the bank she made her way down the street a little before pulling out her phone. Originally she thought to call FP but she struggled to track him down and time was running out. Instead, she phoned Jughead who was with some of the other Serpents. It was a quick phone call. She told him what was going on and asked if he could help. Jughead promised that he would be there and so would the Serpents, even if he had to drag them, and that she was to head straight home, they wouldn’t be too far behind.

On the way home, she tried to keep herself in check. She didn’t want to give anything away to Darla and Chic’s landlord, Marcel. When she walked through the front door she could see the defeat in Alice’s eyes. Everyone was in the living room and Betty stood beside the couch, right next to Alice. Even when the two of them refused to leave, despite having the money that was asked for, Betty couldn’t help but feel brave. She knew that back up was coming and the fact that these two idiots were unaware made it even better.

“ You think you three can take us?” Darla asked. “Try it.”

“Sit your ass down, Chic,” Marcel said as he brought out a blade. “Or I'll cut out your sister's eyes.”

The threat didn’t even phase Betty and a moment later the front door was kicked in. She didn’t even have to look to know it was Jughead and from the sounds of it, he had convinced the others to come with him. As the Serpents stood by her, holding their own blades, she smiled.

“You think you two can take all of us?” she asked, imitating Darla’s words. “Try it.”

“You brought back-up?” Darla said, seeming a little impressed despite the situation. “Does that mean you want me to go to the Sheriff's, start making a stink?”

“Well,” Betty said with a slight shrug. “That's your call but my back-up and me, we're friends with the Sheriff's son, so whose side do you think he'll pick?”

The Coopers are one of the most respected families in Riverdale,” Jughead pointed out. “You two are just a couple of Centerville scumbags.”

“ Anything that was in your car, the swamp washed away, else we'd have heard about it by now, so why don't you just grab the money and run?” Betty suggested.

The two of them seemed to contemplate it for a second before Darla grabbed the money and the two of them headed towards the front door. As the Serpents followed them to make sure they left, Betty turned to Alice and hugged her. They held onto each other as tightly as possible before Alice pulled away mumbling about how she should tidy up. As she wandered off, Chic followed.

“Thank you,” Betty said to Jughead once they were alone.

He raised a brow at her and smiled. “As if I wouldn’t show up.”

Betty nodded. He was right. She knew that he wouldn’t hesitate, even if it meant he came alone. She knew that the other Serpent probably came out loyalty but it must have taken a lot for them to push down their feelings and show up like that. She turned without a word and headed towards the broken front door. They were all stood outside by their bikes. Marcel and Darla were long gone.

“Wait here,” she said to Jughead before heading towards them. They all looked up but it was Sweet Pea that stepped forward the meet her. “Thank you for doing this. I know I’m not exactly your favourite person and neither is my mother but I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t come.”

“He would have come alone if we didn’t,” Sweet Pea said, motioning toward Jughead.

“I know,” Betty agreed with a smile. “But thank you anyway.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Toni said from where she sat on her bike. “We were happy to help you out.”

“I do care about you guys,” Betty said. “One day I’ll be able to prove it to you all.”

Sweet Pea looked down at her necklace and then over to where Jughead stood. “Well, you’ve stuck with him this long and he’s proven himself to us so I guess you will… Eventually.”

Betty offered up a smile as Jughead came to stand by them. “I’m going to stick around for a bit, make sure everything’s okay,” he said. “I’ll meet you guys later?”

“You know where we’ll be,” Fangs said.

They all mounted their bikes and as they drove off, Jughead wrapped an arm around Betty's waist.


	7. Past Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding out he had another son was a pretty big thing to process but to also find out that son was dead? [FP] didn’t know if he could even begin to process that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter steps away from FP and Betty for a moment and focuses more on Alice and FP :) It's set right after Alice tells FP about Charles (2x19) but before they arrive back at the Cooper household.

After Alice’s bombshell, both she and FP were sat on his couch. She had her head in her hands but she had finally stopped crying. FP was sat back, eyes closed, not quite sure what to think or what to do. Finding out he had another son was a pretty big thing to process but to also find out that son was dead? He didn’t know if he could even begin to process that one.

“I’m sorry,” Alice said again.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” FP said, opening his eyes.

She lifted her head and looked over at him. “I should have told you,” she said. “I’ve always regretted giving him up but I lived with it. Finding out he died, it’s tearing me apart. It feels like I lost him again and it keeps hitting me that you never got any say in losing him the first time around.”

“Alice…” He sat forward and placed a hand on her knee. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me, but we were kids.”

“I don’t deserve you.” She seemed a lot calmer now and she gave FP this look like she couldn't believe he was real or that she couldn't believe how lucky she was to know him.

He smiled. “I do need you tell me what the hell is happening right now though.”

“Betty and Jughead found proof that Chic isn’t our son,” Alice explained. “They got ahold of his file from Sisters of Quiet Mercy. The picture inside wasn’t Chic.”

She held out the crumpled picture. FP took it from her and smoothed it out as best as he could. There was blood all over it but he could still make out the face. It took a moment for it to sink in that he was looking at his son. FP’s breath hitched slightly as he gently ran a finger over the boy’s face.

“Charles,” Alice said as she looked down at the photo.

“Would you have told me?” FP asked, never taking his eyes off the photo. “If Chic was the real deal or if you never found out he was lying?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

They both shared a look. He couldn’t be angry at her, at least she was being honest. If their roles were reversed would he have done the same? There was a small part of him that did hate her but he knew that that part would soon disappear. He had made so many mistakes, and some of them not too long ago, he couldn’t really blame her for any of this, not in the long run. From the looks and sounds of it, she already blamed herself enough.

“Where is Chic now?” he asked.

“Back at my house with Betty and Jughead,” she said. “He’s tied up in the basement.”

FP blinked a little in surprise. It wasn't necessarily that they had restrained him. It was the thought of them getting him to the basement and tying him up that surprised him the most.

“He grabbed a knife,” she said, showing off her bandage.

FP looked down at the blood on the photo and then to the bandage. “He did that to you?”

She nodded. “He was knocked out so we tied him up downstairs. We wanted to find out the truth.”

“Look, Alice,” he said. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t care or that this bombshell you dropped hasn’t completely turned my world around but I’m going to take a step back.”

“What? No, wait! You-“

She looked panicked but FP held his hands up to stop her. “Not forever, just for now. This whole Chic thing, it affects you and Betty more than it affects me or Jughead or even Hal. Both of you need to figure out what you want to do next.” He edged closer to her and wrapped an arm around her. “But if you or Betty need anything then I’ll be there and I’m sure Jughead will too.”

After a moment Alice nodded. “I’m sorry I kept you away from this for so long.”

"I’m sorry that Chic has taken advantage like this.”

“That means a lot,” Alice said, gently taking the photo back as he handed it to her. “I hope that soon there’ll be a day when we can really talk about this.”

She turned to him and kissed his cheek. FP smiled at her before standing. He held out his hand to her and once she took it, he helped her up.

“Me too,” he said. “Now, let me take you home.”


	8. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If the Black Hood caught up to him, and the Black Hood was her father, then there’s no way it went down any other way. Hal had always hated Chic and if he really was capable of murder then there would be no exception here. Without even meaning to, Betty headed straight for the Whyte Whyrm."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set after the end of 2x19, ater Betty takes Chic to the Black Hood and she comes home to find that her Dad has been out and could be the Black Hood :)

As soon as Betty was confident Alice wasn’t going to check on her, she snuck out. There was absolutely no way that the Black Hood was her father. She couldn’t get the idea of Midge out of her head, not to mention all of those other people who had died. Did he really have it in him? If it was then Chic was surely dead.

If the Black Hood caught up to him, and the Black Hood was her father, then there’s no way it went down any other way. Hal had always hated Chic and if he really was capable of murder then there would be no exception here.

Without even meaning to, Betty headed straight for the Whyte Whyrm. When she got there, she looked around to make sure Jughead wasn’t there and when she was confident that he wasn’t, she headed straight to the back office. She was sure Sweet Pea had said something to her but she simply ignored him. When she reached the door, she knocked twice and when she heard FP’s voice on the other side she opened the door.

At the sight of her, he stood up. “Betty?”

“I think I did something really stupid.”

He motioned for her to come in. She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. FP had already made his way around the desk to meet her as she walked forward. When he reached her, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

“What happened?”

“Chic isn’t Chic.” Betty shook her head as if to clear it. “What I mean is, he’s not my brother.”

“Yeah, I know,” FP said. “Before I came to yours to get Jughead, Alice came to see me. She told me everything. About Charles, about Chic, how I was involved.”

Betty blinked. “How you’re involved?”

“Oh.” He stepped away and sat on the edge of the desk. “You didn’t know.”

She stepped towards him. “Know what?”

“I’m the one that got Alice pregnant,” he explained. “Charles was- _is_ mine.”

Betty blinked a few times in disbelief. “She told me it wasn’t you.”

“I guess she wasn’t ready to tell anyone.” FP got lost in his thoughts for a moment before shaking his head. “Besides, it doesn’t matter, what happened with Chic?”

“She wanted to tell my dad,” she explained. “They were talking and she told him about the guy that Chic killed, that she covered it up. She kept me out of it, but I knew I had to deal with it and I…”

He reached for her hand. He held onto it and rubbed circles on the back of it with his thumb. “What did you do?”

“I can’t explain it fully, and you can’t ask me how,” Betty said. When he nodded, she continued on. “I knew I had to make sure that Chic didn’t come back to Riverdale, that he stayed away from my family, so I helped him get out of the house. We went somewhere quiet and I told him to run. I told him if he wanted to survive, he had to run.”

“Survive what?”

Betty looked down, unable to speak. There was no telling what he would say, but the thing that worried her more is that the Black Hood would find out and FP would be punished for it. He’s not the only person who would get hurt if that happened.

He tugged on her hand a little, pulling her in a bit closer. “ _Betty_.”

“The Black Hood,” she said, finally looking at him. “He’s back and he called me again. I let him go after Chic.”

FP’s grip tightened on her hand. She winced but he wouldn’t let go. “Why would you do that? He could have hurt _you_.”

“No, no, no.” She shook her head frantically and he eased up his grip a little. “That’s the thing, the Black Hood acts like he cares about me. I don’t believe him but he seems to think it’s true. That’s why I did it because I knew he would go after Chic and leave me alone.”

“Is he going to want something in return?” FP let go of her and ran a hand over his face. “How deep does this go?”

She couldn’t think of an answer and she wasn’t so sure she wanted to explain it to him. It was eating her up to keep it to herself and she didn’t know who else to tell.She wrapped her arms around herself. FP watched her carefully, realising that she wasn’t going to, or couldn’t, answer.

“It’s okay,” he told her as he reached out for her again. As she unravelled her arms from around herself, FP pulled her into him and hugged her. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“That’s not everything,” Betty admitted as she forced herself to pull away. “I think I might know who he is.”

“You think you know who the Black Hood is?” he asked, standing up straight.

Betty backed away a little. She contemplated telling him for a moment. Would it get him into trouble? In the end she couldn’t do it. It was too much ofa risk. There was no way he would keep it to himself and it would put a target on his back.

“I can’t tell you,” she said. “Not yet, not until I’m sure.”

“Betty-“

She held up her hand. “Please, Mr Jones. There’s too much fallout if I’m wrong. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt and I know it would destroy Jughead.”

“Okay,” he said after a moment. “But Betty, I get that you’re trying to protect Jug, but this is people’s lives, you shouldn’t sit on this information for too long. You should really tell someone because people are going to get hurt either way.”

She tugged at her necklace a little as she made her way to the door. “I will, I promise. I’m sorry I put this all on you.”

Before he could respond she was gone.


End file.
